Alexandria. And theres no or appropriate place to to talk about the history of the revolutionary. Then George Washingtons hometown here in alexandria. But im here to introduce our next speaker and one of our fellow emerging revolutionary war historians. His name is eric sterner. Eric is a writer focusing on american history, particularly the revolutionary war and the civil war. He writes frequently for the journal of the American Revolution as well as blogs regularly, regularly, emerging revolutionary war. In 2020, he published anatomy of a massacre the destruction of net in hutton, 1782, and hes currently working on a micro history of the 1782 crawford campaign and survey of George Rodgers clarkes Illinois Campaign that occurred in 1778 1779. In his former life, eric worked in the fields of National Security and aerospace, both in the public and private sectors. He also taught graduate courses in cyber power at Missouri State university, georgetown. John and George Washington university. He holds a bachelors degree in soviet and International Studies and separate masters degrees in Security Policy studies and political science. So let us journey with eric as he presents britain, russia and the american war. Anybody a historian of russia also. Okay. So the reason i pick this topic is britain. Russia and the american war is, is, is the title. But i really wanted to dig into the army neutrality of 1780. A lot of people arent familiar with it. I remembered it from way back when and thought, well, i dont know enough about it. Lets go start exploring it. In a nutshell. In 1780, a change in russias naval posture threatened to upend the entire city of British Naval strategy would have thrown their their strategy for winning the war, not only against the americans, but against the french, the spanish back on its heels. Its one of these great what if questions of the American Revolution in a nutshell, in 1780 march, catherine the great yet the great just the second issue but im going to call the declaration of principles principles of armed neutrality much longer title but then take my our these were basically rules at sea for neutral states when other countries were at war. Then she went about in april and started to create a league of like minded nations. These were all neutral states. The idea was to enforce these principles. Shes got a specif fic target in mind and thats British Naval strategy. She to also wants to establish new rules governing trade at sea among neutral states when theres a war on. She failed. One of the questions that i had was, well, why. The reason to pick this question, pick this topic was. I think it illustrates the American Revolution had a much broader impact on the world than just france and spain in the United Kingdom. Its having an impact throughout europe at a minimum. At a minimum, the war caused a rift between britain and russia. It highlights the fact that the british strategy was more tenuous and uncertain than we perhaps we realize. We tend to look back and say, heres how the war went. But at any one given point, it had several what if questions or several moments at which things could have gone radically different. Were not just talking about battles in the hemisphere. We have to talk about europe. So this helps us put the american war in context. Before the war, anglorussian relations generally friendly, kind of indifferent. Theyre not paying a whole lot of attention to each other. Theyre primarily governed by trade. Okay, so we got a positive relationship there. Russias is a source of naval goods for britain, which is a source of its military powers, naval power. Its hemp rope, pitch tar really tall masts and british merchants carry most of russias exports. Russia did not have a merchant fleet speak of. So lets look at really quickly here. Russia in, the run up to the revolution to sort of get an understanding of where catherines coming from as the revolution occurs, shes on the throne in 1762 after a coup against her husband, period. The third, whether she participated in the coup or not is, still debated among historians. She probably knew it was common. It was a really an attempt by one faction in the court to get rid of the peer to the third and put someone who they might have thought was more cooperative on the throne. At the same time they didnt they underestimated her. She actually sort of dressed in military garb, got on a horse and rode down to the palace. Shes a little uneasy on the throne and partly because shes german and partly because she came to power through a coup. Shes not actually a romanoff. So there are frequent rebellions against her reign and theres always rumors of plots against her. Not a surprise if youve taken power in a coup. The biggest one was called the was the picture of of rebellion. But of causing scot together decided they didnt like catherine leader came to the fore his name was emil puga cervi claimed to be peter the third who was dead. At this point they caught him in 1774. He was executed in 1775, but if it was a big thing, he actually threatened moscow. And its the point where if youre if youre the empress, youre a german, youre living in Saint Petersburg at the edge of your empire. And the guy can get that much support and actually represent a serious threat to your power. Youre a little nervous. See, shes educated, shes well read. Shes extraordinarily independent. And she corresponds regularly with enlightenment, enlightenment thinkers. The need to row actually comes and visits her for a little while. The founder father of one of the encyclopedias and shes a regular correspondent with voltaire. She is a reformer, determined to improve the internal management of russia. Important for us, she wants to involve a wider crosssection of society in governance, government Decision Making was primarily with the aristocracy. These guys all have these largest gates full of peasants. They make their money off their estates. She wanted to promote this merchant. Merchant class and give them a role in promoting society and promoting the economy. To that end, she and she has a treaty signed between russia and britain. In great britain, the commercial treaty of 1766. Now, theres a whole lot of things, but two things are going to be important here. It allows neutral states to trade with to trade noncurrent or banned items with the enemies of one of the signatories. So i can trade everything except more material with sweden or with france. If im russia, even when britain is fighting sweden or france and vice versa, the british can trade to sweden. When the russians are fighting with sweden. So long as this doesnt include war material. The treaty does not include prohibitions on the trade in naval stores. Okay, so in theory, russia could continue to trade naval stores with france when britains at war with france rope pitch tar masks. Now, heres the tricky its an International Treaty language which is actually rather vague. The british have the position that this language is so vague, you think it might include naval stores. The russians are very explicit. It doesnt include naval stores. The british have signed similar treaties with sweden and denmark with similarly vague language. And it was vague enough that the british felt they could, you know, lawyer up and get their way out of it and take what they wanted. But in 1747, a british judge in Admiralty Court actually ruled against britain on the basis of vague language in a treaty and allowed a cargo of naval stores to go forward. And so even britains quite settled on the exclusion of naval stores from the treaty. But as i said, russia clearly did not think they were included. So three trends during the American Revolution caused this russian change in policy. They create this crisis for britain in 17 81, the strategy of the trade embargo to Francis Spain joined the war. So it is largely a colonial war becomes a european war. The european the impact of the embargo grows on russia and then you get an end of european distractions on russias part. So theyre ignoring a lot of whats going on in the war for the most part, because theyve got other matters, other fish to fry in europe. So well go over British Naval strategy very quickly. Its a pretty short step from the boston port act in the intolerable acts to say that were going to embargo all trade with the colonies. Europeans are fine with this neutral states. They look, we all have a right to govern. Trade with our colonies, and were going to do just that. And you have a right to do just that. And were not going to contest it. Besides, the embargo creates wonderful smuggling opportunities. Prices rise, and you can make some money. Now, the navy cannot conduct the royal navy cannot conduct a close blockade of every port. Its not big enough. The difficulties and challenges of conducting close blockade of ports in the ages of sail near impossible. Basically youve got to sit outside the port, be able to intercept ships coming in. You cant do that against the east coast of the United States. Its difficult to do in major countries of major coast. So what the british do is pretty typical. They have a fleet in the intercept ships or convoys, sea usually in trade routes, stops them, goes aboard, inspects the cargo and the manifest, and decides whether or not theres anything here youre carrying thats suspect. That might be more material for our enemies. Then they send that ship, if they find anything. Remember, theyre kind of vague about what anything is. They send it to a british port for adjudication by an Admiralty Court. This is basically a British Court set up to adjudicate, to decide these kinds of things. And when you get to court, it turns out that the british, the merchant ship owner and cargo owner, the burdens on them to prove that their cargo is not bound for a blockade in port, basically, its a its a its a scam not supposed to say that, but its a scam. So what you get is these tensions with france involving the war with france and then spain in 1779, the british embargo escalates. In july 78, the british orders and councils direct the royal navy to seize or destroy all french vessels encountered august 1778. And this is important. The council explains the blockade to direct the navy to bring it to british port. All vessels, including neutrals bound for french carrying naval or warlike stores. Weve got to stop all vessels bound for france. Or that you think might be bound for france. Remember, were in the high seas in a trade route and take it into british port to have the cargo adjudicated by an Admiralty Court in a loaded process. This clearly affects the neutrals and notices notices catherine didnt her dependance on british hauls to carry russias exports that have been going on since the early. Since the mid 1700s early 1700s will say that. In 1776 the British Council in St Petersburg notices an increased presence of spanish and french ships. St petersburg an odd one. The truth is theyre buying up naval stores. They know whats coming or might come. In 1778, he counts british ship visits to St Petersburg 314. All others combined are only 285 things. Philip 1779 british ship visits fall to 314. All the others combined rise to 379. So catherines diversification policy is working significant share of these hulls. These merchant visits are or dutch or some of the most notorious smugglers taking cargoes into the United States and. Its pretty easy shot for them to go to france if they prefer. At the same time that her depends or her her or her attempt to shed british into british dependance dependance on britain sorry and increase the visits of other ships. Her cargoes start getting seized on the high seas by mostly the british, but ironically things really get bad. In august 1778, when an american the general mifflin sinks, one british merchant seizes up in the white sea and theyre all a russian cargo. So she orders this to order a squadron to the white sea to convoy basically merchant ships in the white sea. White sea is north of russia. Its navigable, good portions of the year. Its where really talking Arctic Circle here, those kinds of conditions. October 1778 british british vessels seize the russian merchant army. Going to try to pronounce this properly, because i dont know if its in french, german or what its the young prince couldnt find it in russian. Couldnt. And i dont speak french. Its bound for france with a cargo of hemp and flax. Now from russia standpoint, hemp is excluded from seizure by the british under the 1766 commercial treaty. Flax is excluded from seizure by all treaties. Its its is fair game. So shes angry. And in december 78, she announces catherine announces that the white sea is close to all merchant vessels or all right, merchant raiders. My apologies. Her her foreign minister account nikita panin does not want a confrontation with britain he doesnt see it as in russias interests. And at this point hes arguing against taking any drastic steps to deal with the british seizure of russian cargoes. Shes not happy about that. But this is an opportunity because that first vessel seized was seized by an american so she can say shes still being neutral and he can argue his case that this is fair and even handed. And were still were still walking a tightrope between these two here. She formally protests to britain their policy and their practice of seizing merchant at sea. The british ignored which is always a bad idea when it comes europes strongest land power in the winter of 78 and 79, britain continues to seize. Still, more russian vessels, russian cargo aboard foreign hols. In april 1779, britain announces that convoys will be stopped as well. Now their practice had been seize individual ships, so the neutral said, well, well stop that, well convoy makes sense and thats generally considered something to show that okay guys are not running any blockades or not carrying anything because they wouldnt be running out in broad daylight carrying all this stuff as a big convoy. So this british decision to say that carrying or carrying trade in a convoy makes you exempt from solvency easier isnt going to thats kind of an offense to, catherine and all the other neutral traders at sea denmark. It takes the lead and appeals to the Russian Court help the Russian Court kind of ignores denmark just the way britain had russia. The second thing is going on in 1779 is the russian cargo and former giant vessels is taking an interminable of time to get adjudicated in British Courts. This is taking months and if youve got perishable goods, which it was a fair amount of russias were green this is a problem and then rulings when they come down are really not helpful. The british try to help out what they do is they announce a policy of to you know, lessen the impact on neutrals often we will buy all condemned cargoes at market rates. Well, heres a shock. The markets depressed in england because there are so many condemned cargoes in port. So basically its like i said, im going to walk up to you. Im going to take your car and im going to pay you a used car price in 2018 instead of the inflated prices paid during the pandemic. You probably dont like that. November 79, she instructs her ambassador in london to protest strongly and describes british acts as acts of insolence, insubordination. Cupidity you know, this is a relatively Strong Language for diplomacy, especially aimed at another george. The third. Again, main complaint is directed at the slow speed of the Admiralty Courts. The british ignore the russian protests yet again, even though these are originating with catherine, theyre more concerned with the french and Spanish Naval threats. 1779 there was a very real threat of combined fleet sustaining invasion. The United Kingdom itself and internal. Disagreements within the government of lord north, largely over the the saratoga campaign. Now they get to know what the british are getting with this, in part because russias in europe and to the south and its its front against the Ottoman Empire. So just go through some of those distractions real quick and see why the british could do this so long and why it took so long for catherine to decide shed had enough probably heard about it before the first partition of poland takes place in 1772. Russia and austria get together and slice off about a third to half of the countries poland drinks. Theyre still maneuvering for influence in whats left in the rump state of poland 1772. And as the war goes on, russias had a historic enemy. Is the Ottoman Empire to the south. 1768 1774. Russia fights a war with the Ottoman Empire. They they do very well get access to the black sea. And by the time of the American Revolution, the ottoman and russia still dueling and trying to stall competing puppet regimes in the crimea and conflict, which is that little peninsula that juts down into the black sea. So theyre pretty much focused there. Weve got the rebellion by fugitive and most importantly, weve got the war bavarian succession taking place in Central Europe. This is in germany. Runs from july 78 to may 79. Basically, whats going on is the elector of bavaria dies without an heir. So prussia and austria start to figure out what we want. Our guy in his place that improve our odds of becoming holy Roman Emperor and having greater in